Second Chance Kits: Paths Entwined

by kgkah123

What happens when a reincarnated cat has kits? What if Cinderheart never broke up with Lionblaze? Will four kits who died without a chance be given another chance at life...or will fate catch up with them?

Second-Chance Kits: Paths Entwined

Lionblaze uncertainly padded around the camp, his paws all the time getting sore. Worry and fear crammed his mind, pushing out every other thought. He flinched when a loud wail came from the nursery. He started racing headlong around the camp, as if running could knock away his fears. Jayfeather padded out of the nursery and, at the sight of him, Lionblaze stopped. Gasping for breath, he asked,

"Are they alright?" Fear overwhelmed him as he waited, scared of Jayfeather's answer.

Taking a deep breath, Jayfeather spoke. "Lionblaze, you have three healthy sons and one beautiful daughter." Lionblaze bounded happily into the nursery. Cinderheart's purring was so loud he was sure RiverClan could hear it. Four kits suckled at her belly. The she-kit was white with gray spots, and the toms, one was black-and-white, another was dark brown, and one was pure white with blue eyes. Suddenly Lionblaze's purrs outranked Cinderheart's. "They're beautiful," he chimed.

"I want the she-kit to be named Mosskit," Cinderheart said first. Lionblaze nodded his head in approval.

"And the black-and-white tom can be Swiftkit," Cinderheart's eyes gleamed, and Lionblaze went on. "And the white tom, I think...should be Snowkit. As for the brown one..."

"I like Molekit." Cinderheart continued.

"Molekit." Lionblaze relaxed. "Beautiful." They blinked at each other uncertainly. "Where did those names come from?" Lionblaze asked.

"I don't know..." Cinderheart shuffled in her nest. "They just look like their names, that's all. I felt driven to name them that." And Lionblaze nodded.

Jayfeather's mind reeled. This should not have happened. What happens when a reincarnated cat has kits? He only knew one thing: nothing good could come of this. Cinderheart crouched in the entrance of the nursery with Snowkit huddled beside her. Perhaps Snowkit could be his apprentice one day. Jayfeather snorted. A blind medicine cat mentoring a deaf apprentice? Give me a break. But it gave his nephew a purpose. Jayfeather knew Snowkit could never be a warrior. Swiftkit and Molekit were play-fighting in the clearing, closely watched by Cinderheart. Mosskit batted at a butterfly hovering near the freshkill pile and got distracted by her tail. Turning back to the pile of herbs he had gathered, his whiskers twitching, he continued to sort them. His head snapped towards the clearing as Mosskit tumbled towards him.

"Look at meeeeeee!" She squealed happily, and something in Jayfeather's mind clicked. Something was horribly wrong with these kits.

Snowfur stood up in her nest, stretched comfortably, and shook the moss from her pelt. Her gaze warm, she looked to the nest next to her and jolted in horror. She was now fully awake, fear pulsing from her body.

"Mosskit?" She asked uncertainly. "Mosskit?" she asked more firmly, and when there was no answer she started tearing up the nest with her claws. "Mosskit! Mosskit!" Her voice had risen to a wail, and Bluestar bounded into the den, her eyes gleaming with worry.

"What's wrong, Snowfur? Where's Mosskit?"

"I don't know!" Snowfur raised her head to the skies above and wailed these words. Stonefur's head broke into the den.

"Something wrong?" He mumbled, sleep still in his eyes. They told him and it was chased away immediately, determination hardening his gaze. They searched and searched, but Mosskit was nowhere to be found.

Rain poured in the clearing, and lightning flashed. The two grief-stricken queens huddled under a pine tree, offering not much concealment from the rain but it was still comforting. They stiffened as three shadowy shapes appeared on the hilltop and bounded down the side.

"Do you think they've found them?" Speckletail turned her fear-filled amber gaze to Bluestar, and she sighed when Stonefur, Snowfur, and Lionheart came closer, no kit in their jaws. When was the last time a cat got lost in StarClan? Bluestar looked out into the distance, or at least as far as she could see in the rain.

"They can't have traveled far," she whispered, and pressed her muzzle against Speckletail and she shivered.

Words were just words, after all.

Sure enough, Jayfeather got to mentor Snowpaw. But every time he looked at his eager apprentice, he got shivers. Snowpaw just didn't know how special he really was. Of course, Brambleclaw mentored Molepaw, Dovewing mentored Mosspaw, and Brightheart mentored Swiftpaw. Brightheart specifically requested Swiftpaw. She had no idea why, but she felt drawn to the tom. She felt like she knew him, in a way. She was fascinated by him, and he seemed so familiar to her, in the way he talked, moved, and laughed. But nothing "clicked" with her like it did with Jayfeather. She was stuck in her realm of confusion, in a whirlwind torrent of feelings that she couldn't distinguish from each other.

"Now, Snowpaw, we need to gather herbs before it gets too cold and all the herbs die." Jayfeather spoke slowly to Snowpaw. His apprentice had become very accomplished at reading mouths and facial expressions. Leafbare was lingering in the air, waiting to strike unexpected. Frost was growing on the ground and, if they didn't gather herbs soon, then the coming snow would kill it all. Snowpaw, grateful for the walk, bounded behind him, chattering away in his slurred voice. They gathered as much as they could, especially catmint, before making their way back to camp. Jayfeather was grateful for the silence, as Snowpaw's mouth was stocked with herbs so fully he couldn't utter a word. His eyes glimmered with amazement as the snow fell from the sky. Snowpaw sat staring at his namesake, and reached up to bat a flake with his paws, and Jayfeather gave him a penetrating stare that made him continue on his way to camp.

"Look, my kits, your first snow." Cinderheart cooed and guided Molepaw, Mosspaw and Swiftpaw out of the apprentice's den. Molepaw and Swiftpaw screeched and began to leap and catch the snowflakes with their paws, but Mosspaw took one step out onto the frosty ground and leaped back into the den when a snowflake landed on her nose. Shivering, she shied away from the entrance. "What's wrong, my sweet? Come outside and see the world, come on," She nudged Mosspaw towards the entrance to the den, only a few more pawsteps away. To her surprise, Mosspaw resisted. "Just a little bit farther, my tiny, brave daughter," she encouraged. But Mosspaw refused to leave the den.

Graystripe padded warily into Firestar's den. "You wanted me, Firestar?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes." Firestar looked calm, his tail wrapped around his paws. But his eyes betrayed fear. "I would like to discuss the kits. They are my kin now, you know,"

Graystripe started. "'Now'? What do you mean?"

Firestar stared his friend in the eyes. "We need to discuss where these kits really came from."

"W-What do you mean?" Graystripe stuttered. Now he was worried.

Firestar looked away. "Well. Are you trying to tell me that Snowpaw and Swiftpaw don't look even a little familiar to you?

Graystripe leaped back in horror. "Are you trying to tell me-Snowkit...Swiftpaw!" Suddenly Firestar was very close to his face.

"You are not to breathe a word of this to any other cat. Do you hear me?" Graystripe felt Firestar's breath stir his ear fur, and he nodded. Firestar sat back. "Thank you, my friend. I trust in that you will keep it a secret. That is why I called you in here." Firestar got to his paws. "I'd also like you to do a little...mission for me. I want you to watch out for these kits. I've suspected that Cinderheart is also a reincarnation."

Graystripes eyes grew wild. "Cinderpelt!"

"Shh, Shh," Firestar coaxed. Right now I have only one mystery...who is Mosspaw? I don't think we've ever had a 'Moss' in our Clan, that's a RiverClan name." Firestar began to wash his paw and bring it over his head. "But, Cinderheart hurt her leg in the exact place that Cinderpelt did. But she was healed! But only because of Leafpool and Jayfeather interfering. That means that the same things that killed these kits will be happening to them. So keep a close eye on them, alright?" Graystriope nodded, and Firestar lay back down in his nest, his back facing Graystipe. "I need to think. You may go now," and he heard his friend's pawsteps retreating from the cave.

Cinderheart padded inside the cave, Shaking the snow off her fur at the entrance. Jayfeather padded up to her with leaves in his jaws. Before she began to talk, he spat them from his jaws.

"How's Mosspaw?" He asked, and he heard Cinderheart sigh.

"No better. She still won't come out of the den. It's like she's in hibernation or something, but she can still walk and talk and eat," Cinderheart shuffled her paws. "She's not hunting or anything! I don't think it's fair and the whole Clan is giving her nasty stares and talking behind her back. But Firestar says it's okay!"

"Firestar has his reasons. It would be against the warrior code to not do what he says." Jayfeather concluded with a nod.

"But what if he's just being soft on her because they're kin?" Cinderheart's mew was edged with worry.

Jayfeather wrapped his tail around her shoulders. "Trust me. Firestar is fair and knows what he's doing."

The three toms played in the snow. Molepaw and Swiftpaw, born warriors, dug and buried themselves in the snow, kicking up flurries into each other's faces. Snowpaw leaped in the air and batted at the snowflakes, catching them, only to have them melt on his paws.

Three hawks circled the camp. And the whole camp sat in fear, waiting for them to go away, when one of them dived. Cinderheart screeched and bustled Molepaw and Swiftpaw towards their den, Snowpaw's pelt camouflaging him before his mother could see him. Jayfeather leaped beside her. He was looking for his apprentice and thought he would have taken shelter with his mother.

"Where's Snowpaw?" He asked.

"I thought he was in the medicine den with you!" She screeched. But looking outside, she saw a moving bundle of white fur in the clearing, the hawk zooming towards him.

He hadn't heard the warning.

When the hawk screeched and the queens shouted, Graystripe, remembering his duty, bounded out of the warriors' den. Too late. Snowpaw was playing in the clearing, and Cinderheart was watching, from the entrance to the apprentices' den. And he remembered Snowkit. The hawk was feet away when Graystripe lunged. He landed on top of Snowpaw who had just seen the hawk and curled his body around the tiny apprentice. He screeched when the hawk's claws scoured down his back. But he didn't release his grip on Snowpaw. He couldn't let the young cat die again. Not like this. His back torn open and bloody, the hawk finally released his grip on Graystripe's back and took to the skies. Graystripe released his hold on Snowpaw, who was shaking fiercely, took one look at his back, and his vision grew black, and he had the sensation of falling...falling...

Jayfeather wearily padded from the den and stretched his legs satisfyingly. Without an apprentice helping him, he didn't get much sleep at night. Letting the sunlight warm his fur for a moment, he went back to the den to check on his patients. Graystripe was snoring in his nest, but Snowpaw sat awake and alert. The poppy seeds and thyme must have worn off. Both of them almost died out there. Graystripe's head snapped up when he heard pawsteps from the entrance to the den. His hearing is as good as ever. Four cats, Millie, Bumblestripe, Blossomfall, and Cinderheart padded into the den. Millie's eyes still looked dim, as if the grief of losing her her daughter two moons before still shook her up. They padded to Graystripe's nest. Cinderheart screeched in horror.

"Oh, your back! Oh Graystripe, I am so sorry! There's nothing in the world I can possibly do to say thank you! You risked your life to save my son!" She buried her face in his fur. "Oh I don't know what I would have done if you'd died!"

Graystripe's eyes glimmered with amusement. "I s'pect you'd bury me," he rasped jokingly.

Blossomfall bounced up to her father. "I brought you some fresh-kill!" She chirped and dropped a squirrel at his feet. He sniffed it, prodded it with his paw, and took a strained bite of it and swallowed hard. Even that seemed like an effort.

"Thanks," he mumbled, and didn't eat any more. Jayfeather reflected on the night before. Graystripe lay in the clearing, unmoving and surrounded by cats. Snowpaw huddled low to the ground, blue eyes so wide you could see the white around them. Jayfeather walked up to him and his head swiveled around to look at him.

"He's no' dead, is 'e?" he asked in his slurred voice.

Jayfeather shivered and saw the faint rising and falling of Graystripe's chest. "No, little one, he's not dead yet," he answered, and watched Snowpaw's eyes follow his mouth.

"Repeat tat, pyease?" He asked, and Jayfeather did. Snowpaw physically relaxed, but he was still shaking violently. He whimpered. "You said, 'He's not dead 'et'. You said 'et." He whimpered again and huddled closer into Jayfeather's fur. At that moment his heart went out to his apprentice and he didn't have a harsh word on his tongue. He wrapped his tail around his tiny nephew.

"Shh, shh, little one, everything will be all right," and he bustled him towards the medicine den. He had given him thyme for shock and poppy seeds for sleep, and he watched the two sleep. In the night, Jayfeather had woken up to noise. Graystripe was dragging himself across the den. Jayfeather wanted to shout at him to go back to bed, but the determination and persistence in his gaze stopped him short. He watched Graystripe pull himself into the nest with Snowpaw and wrap his body around him protective like, as if Snowpaw was his own son. He whispered something into Snowpaw's ear and slept with him. When Jayfeather had gotten back up in the morning, Graystripe was back in his own nest.

Graystripe woke to worried green eyes the next morning. Firestar was crouching beside him and watching him. He sat back when he saw his friend was awake. Graystripe stretched.

"Jayfeather told me I could come in," He meowed awkwardly, licking his chest fur. "I did tell you to protect them, but I didn't know you'd go that far." Graystripe looked away.

"He's been given another chance. Let's not blow it. It's not every day you get brought back from StarClan." Graystripe rasped, and coughed hard. Firestar stood up and shook his pelt.

"I'd better not bother you anymore." Firestar said and stood up to leave. He turned his head back around to look at Graystripe. "I know it's more than that, Graystripe. Jayfeather told me what you did last night." Heat flooded from Graystripe's pelt. "Do you want to tell me what you said?" he asked softly.

"No," said Graystripe, looking away. Firestar didn't pressure him.

Cherrypaw was kicked in the face. She jerked awake from a wonderful dream and rage filled her. Why can't Mosspaw stay inv her own nest? She grumbled and pushed her to the other side of the den. Mosspaw jumped to her paws, her eyes wild. She was screeching in terror.

"Bluefur! Bluefur, come back! Don't leave us! Don't go!" She tore up her bed in a frenzy of claws and raced out of the den.

Cinderheart grabbed her kit by the scruff as she made her way towards the entrance. Still half asleep, the young apprentice's claws tore through the air.

"Whoa, whoa, my sweet," Cinderheart coaxed and gently set her down. She was breathing hard. "It's okay now," She licked the top of Mosspaw's head. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Mosspaw buried her face in Cinderheart's fur and shivered. Cherrypaw bounded out of the apprentice's den.

"Bluefur? Who's Bluefur?" She asked, confused.

Cinderheart cocked her head "Bluefur?" She inquired.

Mosspaw gave a great moan. "Bluefur." and collapsed. "Snowfur! Where is my mummy?"

"What-" Began Cherrypaw, but she was interrupted by Cinderheart.

"Shh! She's asleep. Look at her eyes." Sure enough, Mosspaw's eyes were glazed over. She was sleepwalking.

"Snowfur!" She screeched. "Where are you! Where is mummy? Where is Bluefur?" Cats were beginning to come out of their dens looking bewildered.

"Is she ill?" Whispered Cherrypaw.

"No, Cherrypaw, she's just dreaming." Cinderheart looked and sounded exasperated. She nosed Mosspaw into the apprentice's den and she collapsed into her nest and closed her eyes.

Somewhere in RiverClan, Willowshine woke up from a dream. It was a sign from StarClan, she knew it. She shook herself and, careful not to wake Mothwing, she padded towards Mistystar's den.

Mistystar woke with a jolt and when she saw Willowshine she was filled with worry. "What it it, Willowshine?

Willowshine's lashing tail and penetrating stare sent shivers through Mistystar. "Why didn't you ever tell anyone you had a sister?"

Mistystar's mind whirled. I have a sister? She hadn't known. "I didn't know I had a sister. Honestly. I didn't." Something in the way Mistystar looked at Willowshine made her believe what Mistystar was saying. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Mistystar remembered. She didn't remember every detail, but she remembered her mother. She remembered...cold. Snow? A moon of snow? In the forest...so cold...she couldn't feel herself. There were three other bodies...a tom and a she-kit...Mistykit...Bluefur...Oakheart...Stonekit...Moss...Mosskit! So cold, smelling of death...Oh, my precious kits...I'll always come back. The memory so fierce it hit her like a monster on the thunderpath. She stumbled backwards. "Bluefur! Come back! Don't leave us!" She screeched out of nowhere, remembering being left on the rocks. Without Mosskit. She covered her face with her paws. "I can't feel my paws...I don't want to play this game anymore! When can we go home?" Because, in Mistystar's mind, she was still in the forest, with her brother and sister, playing Secret Escape.

In the clearing, Swiftpaw lifted his head from the fresh-kill he was eating. He sniffed the air, and Brightheart noticed fear pulsing from his pelt. He lifted his head and screeched.

"I smell RiverClan!" Several cats lifted their head towards the entrance to camp.

"Mistystar! Willowshine! What are you doing in camp?" Growled Firestar, bounding down the highrock. Mistystar was shaking, and she had a faraway look in her eyes. Firestar stopped short. Willowshine padded forward.

"We're here to see Mosspaw," she growled. The crowd parted, and Mosspaw, shaking, strode up to Willowshine.

"W-What do you want?" She asked nervously. Willowshine's tone considerably softened.

"I won't hurt you little one, I just want to know if you recognize this cat," she said, gesturing to Mistystar.

Mosspaw's eyes brightened. "Of course! That's Mistystar! She's the RiverClan leader, right?"

At the sound of Mosspaw's voice, Mistystar snapped out of her trance. "Mosskit! Oh, I can't believe it's you, my sweet sister. Just how I remember you,"

Mosspaw took a step back. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." Fear flooded from the two she-cat's pelts. Cinderheart leaped in front of her kit.

"You're frightening her. Leave." She insisted. She's insane, she thought, expecting Mistystar to lash out. But she just dipped her head.

"I understand. I just wanted to see her...We will leave now." With a flick of her tail, the she-cats left.

Mosspaw glanced up at Cinderheart. "What does she mean?" But Cinderheart just ushered her away with her tail, a last look at the camp entrance.

Jayfeather's eyes were filled with worry as he looked at Snowpaw. "We need catmint. Badly," he mewed. There had been none in the last moon. Snowpaw nodded and raced off into the forest, but Jayfeather knew he would find nothing. He sighed in despair when he walked through the entrance to harsh, ragged coughing. Brambleclaw and Cinderheart were in the den with Molepaw. Jayfeather's eyes flared with anger. "Keep away from him! Do I have to isolate him somewhere you can't find him? What have I told you?" They scrambled to their paws and rushed out of the den without a word. Jayfeather reached out with his mind to Molepaw. There were threads, scraps here and there, but there was not much else. Graystripe padded into the den and sat down next to him. Jayfeather had noticed some odd connection between him and the kits, and suddenly he didn't have the heart to kick out Graystripe as he stared down at Molepaw, his ears back and tail drooping. He was shaking as he nudged Molepaw, but he just flopped backward. He was barely hanging on.

Graystripe looked up. "If he dies, I will have failed," he whispered, barely audible enough for Jayfeather to hear. But he did. He didn't have enough time to ask before Graystripe padded out of the den.

Graystripe didn't know why, but he felt destined to save these kits. He loved them like he was their father, no less. He ran through the forest until he got to the abandoned twoleg nest. He shivered at the sight of the gaping, open mouth, and felt sick to his stomach with the freezing cold. He was thankful for his thick pelt, and ruffled it to keep warm. His paws itching, he dug and dug to where the catmint should be. There was none. How could he be so stupid? Obviously if there was even a trace Snowpaw or Jayfeather would have found it by now.

"Graystripe!" A voice growled from the border. "What are you doing so near the border?"

He whipped around and snarled, recognizing the voice. "In case you haven't noticed, Rowanstar, I'm on my side of the border!" He snapped. He smoothed his ruffled pelt. What he needed was not a fight. What he needed was herbs. "One of our apprentices has greencough," he said, his voice calmer now. "We have no greencough, and he will die soon if we don't get some," he could almost hear the plead in his voice. Rowanstar observed his claws.

"How does that bring problem to ShadowClan? Unless, of course, you are threatening us," Rowanstar growled.

"Of course not! I'm only asking if we could use some of your catmint," Graystripe finally begged.

Rowanstar looked smug. "And why would I give you ShadowClan's precious catmint that we may need for our own apprentices? It's not out fault that ThunderClan never stores up herbs." Graystripe was about to protest when Rowanstar went on. "But...maybe I can do you a favor if you can do us a favor. I will give you what ThunderClan needs most, if you will give us what ShadowClan needs most. Which is, in fact, prey." Graystripe noticed for the first time how skinny Rowanstar was getting.

"What? Give up our prey? You must be joking! It's leaf-bare! ThunderClan is short on prey as it is without you taking it all!"

"All I'm asking for is one third of all the prey you catch. It's not much, and it will feed out starving kits," Rowanstar flicked his tail. "Your choice. ShadowClan can survive without your decision." Finally Graystripe nodded.

"All right. I'll do it."

It was greenleaf. The snow was gone, the catmint was lusher than ever. It had taken a moon of apprentice duties, but Firestar knew that Graystripe just meant the best. It reminded him of when they hunted for RiverClan back in the old forest. So he didn't go too hard on Graystripe this time.

Mosspaw was overjoyed that her brother was slowly getting better. It had taken a few moons, but he was so eager to get back to his duties that Jayfeather let him off with a warning to take it easy. She stretched and regretfully shook the moss out of her pelt and stood up from her nest. Her heart beat faster when she saw Molepaw resting comfortably in his nest. She was so happy to see him better. A deep purr rumbled in her throat, and she remembered the time she thought her beloved brother was going to die. She felt in such despair then. Her ears pricked and she stiffened when the familiar words floated into the den.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join me beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!" She padded out of the den and watched as Molepaw dragged himself sleepily out of the den and began to wash himself in front of the clan. Cherrypaw and her brother sat below the highrock, their eyes gleaming with excitement and their mentors' with pride. Cherrypaw kept fidgeting, finding it hard to sit still. "The day these kits came into the Clan, we knew they had much to offer us all." Firestar took a deep breath. "And they have proven themselves to be some of the best warriors ThunderClan has to offer, with Cherrypaw's fighting skills and Molepaw's hunting skills, not a single day went by where we didn't thank StarClan for their presence. Cherrypaw," she puffed up her chest and stepped forward to receive her name. "From this moment you will be known as Cherryleaf. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Firestar touched the top of her head with his muzzle and she fidgeted her paws. "Molepaw," He stepped forward but with a little more grace, as if he wanted to outdo his sister. "from this moment on you will be known as Molefur. StarClan honors your loyalty and your patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Molefur! Cherryleaf! Molefur! Cherryleaf!" The Clan cheered. Mosspaw bounded up to Molefur.

"Congratulations!" She purred. He nuzzled her shoulder.

"I'll miss sleeping in the den with you," he joked.

"Don't worry," she purred. "We'll be joining you soon."

"I mean it," he said, now serious. "I really will miss you."

She was taken aback. "But I'll still be here in the Clan," she protested.

"Yeah, but no more training together, play-fighting in the clearing, learning in the sandy hollow," he had a sad look in his eyes but it suddenly brightened. "And sharing secrets in the apprentices' den!" She giggled and butted her head into his shoulder.

"Don't be sad. I'll miss you too."

"Dog! Dog in the territory!" Foxleap's eyes were wild as he busted through the barrier. Fireheart bounded down the edge of the ravine.

"Where?" He asked, worriedly.

"They were fighting it when I left. It's huge! They sent me to go get help," he panted.

"Go see Jayfeather. You've done your duty to the clan." He whipped around. "I need a patrol! I'll take Brambleclaw, Graystripe, Lionblaze, Molefur, Cherryleaf, Swiftpaw, and Mosspaw," he stated, nodding at each of them in turn. "The rest of you stay back and guard the camp! We'll try to drive it out of the territory," with a whisk of his tail, they all followed him out the thorn barrier, the disappointed Molepaw left sitting in the clearing.

Mosspaw could smell the dog before she could hear it, and hear it before she could see it. And Foxleap was right-it was huge. The two spitting, snarling she-cats slashing at it were no mach for the snarling beast. She saw her mother, Cinderheart, fling herself onto the beast's back with a screech of fury and hold on while the dog bucked, but it easily flung her off, and she lay still on the edge of the clearing. Mosspaw fought the urge to run to her. Brightheart was circling it, trying to throw it off guard,, but she could do little else. With a roar of fury, the patrol swarmed the dog. The air was so thick with dog-smell and blood-smell that she could sense little else. The best she could do was attack, hoping none of her clanmates would get in the way and that she wouldn't get in the way of any of her clanmates. She watched in horror as Swiftpaw jumped up onto the dog's muzzle and raked his claws down it, but relief filled her when she saw Swiftpaw dart away safely. He wasn't called Swiftpaw for nothing. She turned away and continued to attack. The patrol moved steadily forward, pushing the animal farther and farther into the territory. The dog was starting to grow tired now, and it wasn't long before, with a whimper, he ran away. With a caterwaul, ThunderClan chased it over the WindClan border, and the cats dragged their weary selves back to the camp. Mosspaw took a quick count to see who was injured or dead. Brightheart had one torn ear but was otherwise unharmed, and she dragged Cinderheart's unconscious body over the leaves. Brambleclaw had one paw soaked with blood and a nicked ear, but otherwise he looked fine. Graystripe's pelt had clumps of it missing and he was bleeding heavily on one side. Lionblaze looked rather untouched-he had blood smeared down his side but it didn't seem to be his own. Molefur was limping and he had a deep wound in his neck. Cherryleaf had multiple scratches that looked like they stung but they weren't deep...no one had died. But someone was missing...she recounted...yes...Swiftpaw!

"Swiftpaw's gone!" she hissed in horror. The cats froze in horror and dove back into the trees, calling his name. They split up to search for him, and suddenly she heard a screech that made her blood turn ice cold.

"Oh, StarClan, no!" Graystripe wailed from across the forest, and Mosspaw paw's seemed to fly across the forest to where Graystripe's voice had come from.

Mosspelt lay on her side in the nursery, breathing hard. It had been an unnaturally hard birth, and Snowcloud and Molefur crouched beside her. Molefur was licking her, smoothing her ruffled fur, and Snowcloud was licking the kits, trying to get them to breathe.

"What will you name them?" Molefur said between licks. She thought hard and they came to her like a rushing wind.

There were four kits. One was a tortoiseshell she-kit, one was a silver-and-white she-kit, one was a ginger tom, and another was a gray tom.

"I will name them Gorsekit, Flamekit, Spottedkit, and Moonkit," she said with great certainty.

"What made you think of those names?" Molefur asked tenderly.

Mosspelt blinked. "I don't know...they just...came to me. I felt driven to name them that." They were on her belly, suckling immediately, except for Spottedkit, she noticed, who followed Snowcloud to the back of the den, curled up around his leg, and fell asleep. And a cold, ancient voice ruffled her ear fur. "My brave, wonderful, beautiful daughter. Take careful care of my mother, my friend, the enemy, and the sacrifice, for they will never cease to surprise you," Mosspelt recognized it at once. "I will, Bluestar," she whispered. "I will."

Snowcloud

Moleclaw

Mosspelt

Swiftheart